The UEFA Executive Committee approved this Thursday a new system of national women's football competitions, which includes the creation of a League of Nations, which will ultimately lead to qualifying for the European Championship or the World Cup, and which will be played by first time in the qualifying phase of the 2025 European Championship.
The new competition system, approved following the conclusions made by a working group made up of representatives of different national federations and following a recommendation by the UEFA Women's Football Committee, connects the Nations League and the European Qualifiers in the desire to 'offer more competitive matches', according to the European body.
The first time this approved new format will be played will be in the qualifying phase of the 2025 UEFA European Women's Championship. Thus, starting in the autumn of 2023, it will offer promotion, relegation and the final phase of the Nations League, in between, as well as 'play-off' eliminatory.
The new league format will divide the national associations into three levels. Within each level, the national teams will play in groups of four (or three) and at home and away against each of the rivals in their group, it is indicated in the UEFA statement.
At the conclusion of the League of Nations, the final phases will determine the winner of the League and, every four years, the three European teams that will qualify for the Olympic Games. The final standings of the Nations League (with automatic promotion and relegation), as well as the promotion and relegation matches, will also determine the starting position of the national teams in the European Qualifiers.
Likewise, the final standings after the European qualifiers will determine the teams that qualify directly for the UEFA European Women's Championship or the FIFA Women's World Cup, and the national teams that can qualify through the play-offs. of the European Qualifiers.
In addition, the final standings from the European Qualifiers (with automatic promotion and relegation) will be used to determine which league the national associations start in in the next competition cycle.
For the president of UEFA, the Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin, "after a historic UEFA Women's EURO, the time has come to further develop women's team football."
"We have built an open, competitive and continuous system where every game will matter, a true reflection of the European sporting model. I am convinced that this format will help all European national federations and keep alive the dream of qualifying for a major international tournament." ", added Ceferin, in the statement of the body he presides over.
